It is interesting that it took Twitter going public to reveal what those of us who follow the social media beat have known for a long time – Twitter doesn’t appeal to the average user. While Twitter is still doubling revenue each quarter and has found ways to make more money per user, four out of five Americans with Internet connections still don't use it regularly. Facebook, by comparison, has more than half the U.S. online population covered and more than five times the worldwide users of Twitter. On one level, Twitter has evolved from a trivial messaging service into a vehicle for mass protests, a forum for big events, and an information network dominated by news media and prominent figures. As a result, it has become a necessity for journalists, public figures, activists, entrepreneurs, and businesses, but not so much for the average Internet user. Most people don’t feel especially tied to those they communicate with on Twitter – they communicate with people they know by text and Facebook instead – and Twitter often is just too overwhelming. There’s just too much trivial nonsense for the little bit that most people get out of it.
Of course, one way Twitter is trying to make a better connection with average users is tapping into a mobile user's phone book to discover contacts on Twitter. Twitter argues this can make it easier for newcomers to connect with people they already know on the service. For others, that’s just another unwanted invasion of privacy.
Comments